Which of the following is a normative statement?

• The presidents of Mexico and Russia are both directly elected by the people.

• The head of government in Iran is the president.

• The Chinese judicial system would serve the country better if it were more independent.

• Iran's head of state is not directly elected by Iran's citizens.

Which of the following statements about the Human Development Index (HDI) is CORRECT?

• It is compiled by the World Bank.

• It includes measures for sustainable development.

• It assesses the level of interaction between people in a political system.

• It is used to measure and compare levels of achievement in health, knowledge, and the standard of living.

In comparative politics, the term state refers to

• subnational units of government like Missouri.

• the key political institutions in a country.

• the total area of a country.

• the government in power in a country.

If a government’s citizens and other nations recognize its authority to rule, then that government almost certainly has

• a high level of legitimacy.

• democratic consolidation.

• a stable economy.

• strong linkage institutions.

All of the following have been proposed as necessary conditions for democracy to succeed EXCEPT

• parliamentary system government.

• secure national boundaries.

• widespread acceptance of democratic values.

• minimal level of economic development.

Democratic transitions describe a process in which

• the president of a country resigns from office and is replaced by the vice president.

• there are elections involving the peaceful transfer of power between administrations.

• a democratic country becomes a dictatorship.

• authoritarian governments develop more participatory and democratic regimes.

As compared with consolidated democracies and authoritarian regimes, transitional democracies are characterized by

• more legal protection than consolidated democracies but less than in authoritarian regimes.

• more legal protection for economic and social rights but less for political rights.

• more protection for civil liberties than either consolidated democracies or authoritarian regimes.

• fewer legal protections of citizen rights and liberties than in a consolidated democracy but more than in authoritarian regimes.

Authoritarian regimes are characterized by all of the following EXCEPT

• power (or authority) is highly concentrated in a single individual, small group of people, single party, or institution.

• they have a totalitarian system that seeks to control every aspect of their citizen’s lives and allows no personal freedoms whatsoever.

• those in power claim an exclusive right to govern and use various means, including force, to impose their will on their citizens.

• they lack an effective procedure for selecting political leaders or holding them accountable.

If a study finds that a change in one variable is accompanied by a change in another, a researcher has proved the existence of

• causation

• correlation

• Empirical data

• dependent variable

Which of the following is an accurate description of civil society?

• The way that citizens organize and define themselves and their interests

• The responsibilities and typical activities of elected officials

• Stable, long-lasting organizations in government that help to turn political ideas into policies

• The process through which citizens learn about political values and beliefs